The Tazewell County Board turned out the lights Wednesday on a proposed solar farm project just west of Morton.
By a narrow 10-8 vote, the board denied a special use request from Unsicker Solar to build a five-megawatt solar farm on about 52 acres northwest of the intersection of East Idlewood Street and Schmidt Road, south of Illinois Route 98 (Birchwood Street).
The county's Zoning Board of Appeals recommended denial of the special use in an agriculture preservation district. So did the county's Land Use Committee. The Morton Village Board passed a resolution at a special meeting opposing the special use.
Morton Mayor Jeff Kaufman breathed a sigh of relief Wednesday after being told about the county board's vote.
"I'm so glad. The board made a wise decision," he said.
Morton officials believe the solar farm would have hindered the village's efforts to attract industrial development west of Interstate 155 along the Birchwood Street corridor.
The village spent $1.25 million to increase water capacity in the area and plans further infrastructure improvements including extending Flint Avenue north to Agriculture Drive and installing a traffic signal at the intersection of Birchwood Street and Erie Avenue
Already in the area is a 510,000-square-foot Precision Planting assembly and distribution center at 801 Agriculture Drive that employs 250. The facility began operations in 2023.
The county board's denial of the special use flies in the face of a state law passed in 2023 that takes away the ability of local governments to limit or ban solar and wind farms and strengthens a 2021 state law that requires the state to have 100% carbon-free electricity by 2050.
That legal challenge didn't sway board members and Morton residents Nick Graff and Greg Menold, who led the opposition against the special use.
"Why can I vote yes or no on every issue that comes before us except a solar farm project?" Graff said. "That's not the way our government is supposed to work. I shouldn't be told how I should vote.
"I'm done. From now on, I'm voting the way I want to vote on solar projects. I don't want to see the county be put in legal jeopardy, but I don't want to violate my oath of office either."
Menold said nobody from Morton lobbied him on how to vote on the special use.
"If there ever was a time to stand up and say no to a solar farm project, this is the time," he said. "Morton has installed a lot of infrastructure in the area for potential developments. I'm not going to go against Morton's plans."
Menold's argument was countered earlier in the board meeting by Chicago attorney Jim Griffin, Unsicker Solar's lawyer.
"There's no evidence of a future project in this area. And the owner of the land where our solar farm will be located hasn't been contacted by a developer or Morton," Griffin said during public comment.
Board member Greg Sinn, a Tremont resident, questioned why Morton hasn't annexed the land if it felt it was so valuable.
On another solar farm issue, the board approved a one-year extension of a special use in an agriculture preservation district for the construction of a two-megawatt solar farm at 21737 Illinois Route 22 east of Delavan.
County will pay a maximum $5,000 for full-time employees' education costs
Also Wednesday, the board:
- Approved the establishment of a professional development reimbursement policy for full-time county employees. The employees will be eligible for a maximum $5,000 in reimbursement per calendar year for education costs. Sue Webster, the county's human resources director, said the policy was created to retain employees and attract good candidates for open positions.
- Approved a $189,891 grant agreement with the Illinois Department of Transportation to purchase paratransit buses.
- Approved a contact for low bidder Midwest Engineering and Testing of Bloomington to do soil borings and provide field exploration, environmental laboratory soil testing and engineering services for $18,642 at the site of the Tazewell County Justice Center Annex.
- Approved a contract for low bidder Western Specialty Contractors of Peoria for $134,890 for exterior limestone replacement and repair at the McKenzie Building, 11 S. Fourth St., in Pekin.
- Approved a proposal from Sourcewell to install a Caterpillar generator at the Tazewell County Health Department building, 1800 Broadway Road in Pekin, for $119,004. The price includes the cost of the generator. The county is a member of the Sourcewell cooperative purchasing program.
